In a time where the wearing of masks isn’t limited to supervillains and superheroes, the entire world joins forces to battle a common enemy. The weapons in 犀利士 our arsenal include a total or partial lockdown, enhanced testing, and social distancing. The enemy, a pandemic whose only known vaccine is the prescription to stay at home.

No fans in the stadiums, no actors in the theatres but pastors remain behind the pulpits speaking words of hope despite COVID-19. As the Bible proclaims in Romans 10:17,” Faith comes by hearing…” as such the words spoken behind the pulpit have helped build the faith of its hearers during this period. What has faith got to do with a pandemic?

Faith Over Fear

Phrases like ‘Fear not’, ‘Do not be afraid’, ’Do not be anxious’ which exhort us to overcome fear are found over 300 times in the bible. What is paramount, however, is that most of these scriptures implore us to have confidence in the Lord and his word.

The ‘arrival’ of COVID-19 has struck fear into a lot of souls but the antidote to alleviate fear is faith in God and his word. We have learned to believe in God’s word in these trying times instead of focusing on the increasing numbers of COVID-19 infections. I am holding on to the words in Psalm 91:10,” There shall no evil befall me, neither shall any plague come near my dwelling”. God’s word is essential in our daily survival in and out of perilous times.

Corporate Prayer

“ Again I say unto you that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven ”(Matthew 18:19). Another thing COVID-19 has taught me about my Christian faith is that there is power in corporate prayer. On 25^th March 2020, the president of the country declared a fast against the COVID-19 pandemic. I witnessed Ghanaians from all walks of life observing and partaking in the national fast.

It is my belief that such prayer is really as effective as Matthew 18:19 asserts. Seeing a nation in unity in one of the toughest periods in our history yet was a lesson that prayer was the only way humanity allows God to intervene in its affairs. Where science fails God prevails.

Praying For Leadership

“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.” (Romans 13:1).

 “The King’s hand is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD, He turns it wherever He will.”(Proverbs 21:1)

We had never witnessed a situation where church activities were banned until we had cases of COVID-19. We noticed that all churches and Christian leaders have complied with the president’s prescription because the bible admonishes us to do so.

If the Bible commands that leaders should be obeyed, then it is important that people in the Christian faith intercede for leaders that they would heed to the will of God in their decision making. The impact that national leaders can have on our lives is enormous therefore we ought to keep them in prayer so that they come up with effective methods in battling COVID-19.

The Church Is Not A Building

I haven’t been to the church building in over a month, but I have had church service on Sundays and Wednesdays and leadership meetings on Tuesdays. This teaches a crucial lesson; COVID-19 can prevent gatherings in the church building but it cannot prevent the church from worshipping. God is spirit and they that worship him must do so in spirit and In truth.

God does not require us to worship him in designated buildings, all he requires is that our gatherings – whether physically or virtually – are in his name (Matthew 18:20). The church is us. Every single Christian is a part of God’s church. We are all in one accord regardless of the place of worship.

Even in the toughest periods, God is close to us and he will never leave us nor forsake us. By his stripes, we are healed and by faith, we affirm that COVID-19 shall be expunged.

Being told to read a lot is considered sound advice. However we ought to be highly selective of the content of whatever material we intend to imbibe. The Bible is often thought of as just a religious and Historical book, but it is much more than that. The Bible is the best guide in how life on earth should be lived by humans. Just as every electronic gadget comes with a manual detailing ways to its most efficient and effective use, the Bible teaches us how to achieve our full potential on earth. The Bible guides us on issues related to marriage, money, hard work and diligence. Today we will discuss some aspects of life the Bible deals with.

Money

Money is an indispensable part of our lives today. It is our medium of exchange of goods and services and without it life would be challenging. The Bible gives us a comprehensive guide on how money should be ‘related’ to. In Luke 16:13, Jesus Christ asserts that money should not be placed at par with God; “You cannot serve both God and money”. This does not imply that money is inherently a bad thing.

That scripture points to the fact that man has a tendency to make money life’s ultimate focus, instead of seeking to do God’s will. In Proverbs 13:11 we can see clearly that God desires that we acquire wealth in the right manner. The verse states that, “Dishonest money dwindles away but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow”. This is evidence to the fact that God is not against the very idea of wealth, He just wants us to gain it according to His will.

Marriage

The Bible is also a manual that guides us on our love life. It teaches us a wife’s responsibility to a husband as well as a husband’s responsibility to a wife. Wives are encouraged to submit to their husbands like the church submits to Christ. Also husbands are required to love their wives even unto death just as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:21-33). The passage in Ephesians 5:21-33 gives us an in-depth look at the institution of marriage and draws an analogy between marriage and Christ’s relationship to the Church.

We can also see instructions on marriage in 1 Corinthians 7. Paul explains to the church of Corinth that one importance of the institution of marriage is that it can prevent the temptation to immorality. He prescribes that each man should have His own wife and each wife should have her own husband. One famous passage in the Bible is Proverbs 31. It outlines the ideal qualities of a good wife and mother. God instituted marriage and he made available in His word what is necessary to have a wonderful one. The Bible is a sufficient marriage manual.

Diligence and work

In as much as the word of God promises us blessings, it also motivates us to work hard and be diligent in our endeavors. The Bible has scriptures that will galvanize us in our pursuit of success through hard work. Colossians 3:23 asks us to do whatever we do as unto God. At our work places we ought to have in mind that no matter who cuts our pay checks, we are working for God and he deserves our absolute best.

In Proverbs 14:23, you would notice that it is not enough to only talk about our dreams, goals and aspirations, it is important to toil for them. Taking the necessary steps to achieve your dreams is far more important than talking about it. The verse is an encouragement to roll up your sleeves, get in the dirt and bring your dreams to life. It (Proverbs 14:23) says, ”In all toil there is profit but mere talk tends only to poverty”. Working very hard towards your dreams cannot be overemphasized but you ought to remember to plan first.

Before you set out on your quest to accomplish your goal, you need to spend time planning. The Bible prescribes that our plans should involve the Lord. “Commit your work to the Lord and your plans will be established”(Proverbs 16:3). Therefore, our plans must be first, submitted to the Lord so that once we work on them with all diligence he would brig=ng success to our doorstep.

Eternity

The most important aspect of life the Bible instructs us on is our quest to live with God in eternity. We are constantly reminded that our life on earth is temporal; A passageway to our eternal home with God. The central theme of the Bible is that came down as Jesus Christ to redeem us from the wages of sin, and we ought to believe in him and His finished work on the cross in order to be with Him in eternity.

“All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work”(2 Timothy 3:16). God intends that our righteousness would be as he has prescribed in His word. Therefore we are required to study His word and walk in His instructions in order to live a life worthy of our call. 

The Bible is the only manual that would lead us to a fruitful life. Therefore we ought to read, meditate and do our best to walk according to the guidelines it provides through the Holy Ghost that lives in us.

It starts little by little, a short moment of fun develops a craving for more. That yearning births a habit, the habit becomes an addiction. Pornography, Drinking, Drug abuse, Over-reliance on technology. Whatever action it may be, addiction is idolatry because these pleasures tend to take the place of God. Whether we choose to admit it or not, most of us struggle with addictions that are challenging to break.

Often times, it seems these addictions are etched into the core of our being. And breaking these addictions would be tantamount to breaking away from our very self. A lot of people claim to hate the very things they are addicted to. But yet cannot put a stop to the things their actions. Do we have the power to overcome our addictions or are we forever imprisoned in their cages? The sinful nature of our flesh is always battling us, but we have the means to conquer it. Let’s look at ways we can be set free from our addictions:

Submit to God

James 4:7,” Submit yourselves to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you”. Our addictions are temptations from the devil. He goads us into acting on our fleshly desires. The devil cannot be resisted unless you submit your life to God. The first step to breaking any addiction is to make Jesus Christ the lord of your life. Making Jesus the lord of your life goes beyond reciting the sinners’ prayer.

It means desiring and making a deliberate effort to walk like Christ did and to be like him. Jesus Christ never sinned but he was tempted with all manner of temptations. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way just as we yet still do not sin”(Hebrews 4:15)

Understand that he doesn’t condemn you

It is understandable that for some of us submitting to God seems impossible. Because we know how much he hates our sinful actions and addictions. We must understand however that God is full of love. Though he hates our sins he does not hate us. In Hebrews 4:15: He empathizes with our weakness and He wants us to come to him just as we are so that he will transform us.

One thing that hinders us from breaking away from addiction is self-condemnation. We begin to think that we cannot get relief from our problems because we are filthy being unworthy of love. The truth is Christ died for us even in our sinful state and he is calling us unto ourselves to get healed and be freed from the demons that afflict us.

He is loving God who understands your pains and struggles and he is waiting for you with arms wide open. “Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

Do not be isolated

When struggling with addictions, it is easy to think that you’re alone in the fight. Many people feel ashamed of their habits tom the extent that it becomes their darkest secrets whiles guilt reigns in their conscience everyday. Speaking to the right people about your addiction is an important step to breaking it.

As Christian, we need to be part of a local bible believing church. Being part of a community of saints provides the avenue to talk to church leaders who can support us in our battle against addiction, through prayer teaching and counseling. There are many leaders in the church who have once struggled with our addictions and would be in the best position to give us practical advice, provide emotional support and pray for us.

“Therefore make it your habit to confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous person is powerful and effective”(James 5:16). As the aforementioned scripture says telling one another about our struggles brings us healing when we pray for one another concerning the addictions we may have. Therefore seeking help from Christian leaders is a biblical way of fighting addiction because they have been equipped with the spirit of God to help them.

Eschew bad company

“Do not be misled, bad company corrupts good character”,(1 Corinthians 15:33). Fleeing from bad company isn’t limited to people who influence you to continue in your addiction. Bad company involves media like television programs, websites, music, ads etc. that perpetuate such behaviour and may trigger you addiction. Staying close to things that trigger your addiction would stifle any progress you may have made in your quest to break away from it. So it is important and essential in your fight against addiction to stay away from all things and people that have the potential to trigger it.

Renew your mind

“Do not conformed to the world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect”,(Romans 12:2). Your mind/soul consists of your intellect will and emotions. Your mind is the seat of your personality. The battle with our addiction occurs in our minds and in order to win this fight we need to renew our minds.

You renew your mind by changing what your mind feeds on. The word of God is the best tool and catalyst to change your mental state. Constantly studying and meditating on the word of the lord would eventually influence our way of thinking. It replaces any thought in our mind that influences us to pursue our addictions.

“Finally brethren whatever is true, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise think about these things”,(Philippians 4:8)

The church is much more than just a social gathering. It was instituted by God for His saints to connect, pray, fellowship, and help one another grow in the ways of Christ. Once in a while, we feel lazy to leave our homes and travel to our church buildings to fellowship with other believers. The problem could be tiredness from the previous day’s work or discouragement but regardless of the challenges preventing us from attending mass, we would discuss reasons why we ought to go to church.

God’s Command

All Christians are required to attend church services because God commands us in His word to do so. “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another and so much the more you see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25). The fact that we’re Christians implies that we’re followers of Christ.  As followers of Christ, we are to submit to Him, His word, and His ways. If we love God, we would keep His commandments (John 14:15). Attending mass is a way of showing love to God because it is in obedience to His commands.

To be fed with the Word

One of the most important aspects of church service is the preaching and teaching of God’s word. Just as we feed the body and it grows, we need to feed the soul so that we can mature in the faith. Without the word of God in our lives, our souls would eventually perish. Jesus talked about the importance of His word to our lives in Matthew 4:4; He proclaimed that man shall not on live on physical food but nourished by the word. In church, we get fed with the word of God through the preacher’s sermons.

For corporate prayer

It is good to pray alone but that does  not discount the importance of praying along with like minded believers. The scriptures talk about the effects of praying together with other believers in Matthew 18:19: “Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.”  We see here that corporate prayer shall be answered by God so far as the parties praying are in agreement. In the church praying together helps our prayers get answered whiles building us up in the faith.(Jude 1:20).

That is where God is

“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in their midst.”(Matthew18:20). God’s word is evidence of how much God prices the gathering of His people. He clearly informs us that being together in His name implies that He is in our midst. As seen in the scripture, there is a surety that once we’re gathered in His name, His Spirit comes to abide, bless and fellowship with us. Going to church ushers us into the presence of God. It is important for us to be in the presence of God to partake of His goodness, blessings and glory.

To serve with your gifts

Paul describes the church as the body of Christ. All the parts of the body cooperate to achieve a common goal. The goal of the church is to become just like Christ is. All the members of the church need to work together in order to make the church like Christ. Each individual has been given a specific gift/talent that when put to use, would contribute to the qualitative growth of the church. Some are good at evangelism, others are great singers, preachers, organizers, etc. You have a special ability that is needed in the house of God and failing to attend church services denies the entire body of Christ the benefits of your peculiar abilities. You are needed in the church because there is a void you have been tailored to fill.

To support and be supported

One advantage of being part of a church and attending services is to provide and benefit from spiritual, psychological, emotional and monetary support. Proverbs 27:17 tells us that iron sharpens iron. That is to say that,  our interaction with other believers gives us strength to overcome the challenges of life. “Carry each other’s burdens, and this way you fulfill the law of Christ.”(Galatians 6:2). In Matthew 22:36-40, Christ shows us what the highest commandment is. He expects us to love Him with all our hearts and also love our neighbours as ourselves. Carrying each other’s burdens fulfills Christ’s command that we love one another. Also, if everyone in the church has been tasked with carrying each other’s burdens, it would imply that when we attend church with our problems and troubles we would find solutions through our fellow brethren.

In conclusion, despite the stumbling blocks that seek to prevent us from attending church services and programs we have to make it a point to look beyond our feelings and attend church services for the sake of the ministry, ourselves, and our brethren. We all need a healthy, vibrant, and loving community to feel refreshed and loved. The church provides us with all those benefits and even more!

Imagine that you’re faced with a difficult situation at work, or in your business, or even at home. Apart from considering different ideas and solutions about improving the situation, on what belief do you build your hope that things will get better?

As a Christian, you can draw on the strength and wisdom of God’s spirit, but most notably, from your trust as a person who lives according to God’s plan and directions.

While Christianity is built on the belief that God sent His only son to die for mankind, the power in faith and living in truth requires that a Christian accepts Jesus Christ as saviour, and also understands God’s relentless love for mankind. Then, such belief evolves into a life-long journey of relationship, intimacy, obedience, and commitment to being imitators of Christ.

The Christian lifestyle is an empowered position.

It is filled with different interests that manifest the Spirit and power of God in a believer daily. Such a lifestyle can be exhibited through relationships, business, entertainment, and other essential areas of life while pursuing an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. The Christian lifestyle is not governed by rules that dictate acceptable behaviour, but rather an assimilation of living according to His plan and guided by love for others.

When the word “Christian” was coined over 2000 years ago, the purpose was to describe a set of individuals who exemplified the character of Jesus Christ and had the same outlook towards life. As a follower, you are expected to live in a certain way.

It is important to understand that Jesus never gave his followers any collective name or description; neither did he ever refer to them as Christians during his lifetime. Not until his death and resurrection did the people at Antioch call them “Christians” after observing the similarity of their lifestyle to how Jesus lived. Perhaps, if his disciples had not behaved so remarkably like him, they would not have made such a distinct impression.

“What would Jesus really do in this situation?”

Before you take action, you should ask yourself: Before you give up on yourself or a project, also ask, “How can the Holy Spirit inspire me to be better?” As you go through life, remember that the will of God is for the believer to have a wholesome experience and live an empowered life. So it is His desire that you enjoy love, happiness, life, and many other exciting things.

The world we live in is not intended to be our spiritual enemy, because “God so loved the world” that he gave his only son to save it (John 3:16). The world, which we are not to love, is the self-centred nature of human life that ignores God and attempts to live independent of Him operates by selfish and ungodly principles or standards. This explains the intent behind the instruction in Romans 12:2 which says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind”.

The best way to achieve this is to stay plugged into inspiring platforms that make it easy for one to continually enjoy an empowered and wholesome Christian experience. Don’t miss out on the best Christian teachings, inspiring shows, travel/business advice, leadership insights, news and so on showing on Dominion TV DStv Channel 364 and GOtv Channel 181.

The wisest king who ever lived said, “Acknowledge the Lord in all your ways in order to prosper” (Proverbs 3:6). He was right! The most important thing you can do as a Christian is to make God a part of everything that you do, and ensure that you give Him access to move you physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.